TOK Journal #5, Date of Writing: 3/03/10, Topic: Artifical Intellegence

Machines. Machines, machines, machines.... they are always advancing, getting stronger, faster and deadlier while running cooler, getting smaller and becomeing cheaper to make. The thing is, when will our current rate of advancement stop? Each year, our computers get more powerful, our cellphones more capeable, our televisions higher quality... hell, even my toaster at home is more advanced then I can possibly have use for. I believe there is going to come a time in the near or distant future where our need for more power, our thirst for technological advancement, will be quenched - at least, quenched on a hardware level. But, what really makes a computer as amazing as it is? The speed of the processor, the amount of RAM it has.... or what we call the thing we use to interact with the hardware, the software?

This brings me to my main point - software. Software, software, soft- just kidding. But really, software is the way of the future because although our machines are powerful, fast, infinitly useful and even deadly... they still need a human to drive them, to use them. The next major step in this technologically developed society will NOT be a faster processor, more RAM, or whatever.... it will in fact be the creation of artifical intellegence. Despite the fact my toaster has 10 times the power of an entire computer from the 1980's (and it toasts stuff!), despite the fact the iphone is 100 times as powerful as my toaster, fits in my pocket (and is 1000x as genius, i'll admit), there is still the need for a human to drive it.

Artifical Intellegence is where we are headed. Soon enough, hopefully within my lifetime, my toaster will know when I want toast. It will know when I wake up, how long I spend in the shower (somewhat creepy I know, but just bear with me here), how well cooked I like my toast and have it ready for me as soon as I reach the kitchen table (sidenote: Chances are this will be another AI computer with a carbon footprint the size of Kentucky). And whatsmore, it will know all of this by itself.

Lookout, technologically imparired people! Lookout, for the future is on its way! Keep an eye on your toaster though, toast can be deadly.... :P